Covid-19 Updates & Info

[ti-amie]

Eric Topol
@erictopol@mstdn.social
There are 2 new publications today on Covid follow-up at 2 years that shed light on #LongCovid, but there are still many known unknowns...

[ti-amie]

Patient Mike Camilleri works with physical therapist Beth Hughes in St. Louis on March 1. A mild covid-19 case set off a chain reaction that left Camilleri with dangerous blood pressure spikes, a heartbeat that raced with slight exertion and episodes of intense chest pain. (Angie Wang/AP)

Many long-covid symptoms linger even after two years, new study shows

By Amy Goldstein
August 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. EDT

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... ars-later/

No pay wall

[ti-amie]

Ron Chusid :verified:
@rchusid@med-mastodon.com
Hollywood often had the strictest Covid precautions earlier in the pandemic as they couldn't afford the financial hit of hard to replace stars getting sick. One studio is reinstating masking after a recent Covid outbreak.
#Covid #CovidIsNotOver

https://deadline.com/2023/08/lionsgate

[ti-amie]

GottaLaff@mastodon.social
Safe Schools Coalition BC
@SafeSchoolsBC@zeroes.ca
Just a few weeks into the school year, some USA states are having to cancel classes due to rampant illness. (Proof that “immunity debt” was false and most likely “immunity theft” from COVID is to blame.)

Therefore, BC schools need to employ protections like masks & clean air to avoid the same fate. BC NDP?

#BringBackMasks #COVIDisAirborne
#LongCOVID #LongCovidKids
#CleanTheAir #tripledemic
#BCED #BCpoli

https://nypost.com/2023/08/24/covid-fl

[dryrunguy]

Johns Hopkins latest newsletter (today) led off with what's below:

Number of sequenced cases of BA.2.86 doubles this week but still too early to predict course of new variant

The number of sequenced cases of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86 doubled this week. As of writing, 27 cases have been reported in 8 countries—Denmark (10), Sweden (4), Portugal (2), UK (3), Israel (1), South Africa (2), Canada (1), and the US (4)—according to a dashboard created by Dr. Raj Rajnarayanan, Assistant Dean of Research and Associate Professor at NYITCOM at Arkansas State University. The variant has been detected in wastewater in several additional countries, including Switzerland and Thailand, as well as 4 US states and New York City. Scientists remain on alert but say it is still too early to predict whether the variant will become widespread or cause disruption like the original Omicron variant.

In the US, COVID-19 hospitalizations rose nearly 19% in the most recent week and COVID-19 deaths rose 21.4%, according to US CDC data. Only a few states—Alaska, New Hampshire, and North Dakota—saw COVID-related hospital admissions fall last week, while 26 states experienced a "substantial increase" in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Despite increasing week by week, hospitalizations remain at historic lows, and while general hospital departments can better manage the care of COVID-19 patients now compared with the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare practitioners would welcome better medications, especially products that do not interact with other drugs.

Updated vaccines are expected to be available in the US in mid-September, and the UK announced this week it is moving up its planned COVID-19 and flu vaccination campaign from October to September. Because of its large number of spike protein mutations, BA.2.86 may be more able to skirt existing immunity and cause infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or been vaccinated against it. The updated vaccines, which will be monovalent and target the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant, are expected to be effective against the most currently predominant subvariant, EG.5, which is a descendent of the XBB lineage. As the US heads into the Labor Day weekend, when gatherings of family and friends are common, people should consider their circumstances and utilize mitigation measures—such as mask wearing, gathering outside, improving indoor ventilation, and testing—as appropriate.

[ponchi101]

Dear John Hopkins.
Don't tell us the percentage increase. If you say deaths increased 21.4%, putting the absolute numbers is also good to know.

Also, by now we have almost 4 years of data. Tell us the trend.

[MJ2004]

And.. my husband has symptoms and tested positive. I'm feeling ok, but we'll see over the next few days. Only a matter of time for everyone, it seems.
Absolutely nobody is masked around here.

[ponchi101]

Hope you will escape, and hope your husband will get better soon.

[Oploskoffie]

And.. my husband has symptoms and tested positive. I'm feeling ok, but we'll see over the next few days. Only a matter of time for everyone, it seems.
Absolutely nobody is masked around here.

Hopefully both of you will come out of it just fine and yes, sooner or later it will reach (nearly) everyone, everywhere. Is there still a level of mask requirement of expecation where you live?

Here in the Netherlands the public mask requirement was lifted in february 2022 for most locations, with (I think) airports being the last to lose it. Hospitals and other medical locations kept the requirements for far longer. The government choice, for now, has pretty much been to "learn to live with it" and have it gradually take its place amongst the annual disseases like the flu. There's a lot of opinions to go around where that's concerned but for now it has seemed to work and after a brief spike late last year, things have continued to stabilize. Fingers crossed for this fall.

[MJ2004]

Is there still a level of mask requirement of expectation where you live?

Not at all. And while I somewhat understand the perspective of "learn to live with it", it's just aggravating to see people out and about in the middle of a "mini-COVID wave" while sick and with no masks. I fall into the camp of it's really not that hard to wear one, especially when out in crowded public spaces.

We think it was caught on the subway - my husband was masked, but the man across from him coughing up a storm with no mask on. In the meantime, I've seen people at work sick, with "colds and coughs" and no masks. People have thrown any level of precaution and consideration for others out the window.

[Oploskoffie]

Not at all. And while I somewhat understand the perspective of "learn to live with it", it's just aggravating to see people out and about in the middle of a "mini-COVID wave" while sick and with no masks. I fall into the camp of it's really not that hard to wear one, especially when out in crowded public spaces.

We think it was caught on the subway - my husband was masked, but the man across from him coughing up a storm with no mask on. In the meantime, I've seen people at work sick, with "colds and coughs" and no masks. People have thrown any level of precaution and consideration for others out the window.

For the record, I'm in your camp when it comes to mask usage.

What I think one of the big issues is, especially with the current covid variants, is that for many people the symptoms are mild at worst and too similar to pre-2020 having a cold or a flu-like symptoms for which hardly anyone would stay at home (or be expected to) nevermind wear something as "extreme" as a facial mask. Working from home, in my organization, was reserved for people with disabilities of some sort. As for the rest... Feeling under the weather? Come into work anyway and see how it goes, right? Been home for a few days? Expect a call from the manager, asking about your return to work. Though certainly not in all companies/businesses, we do appear to be heading back in that direction. Same for schools, colleges and universities.

For some part, it probably is a variant of simply being selfish. Then there's the part of the population that never considered covid an issue/reality to begin with, so for them it's merely a continuation of what would be considered "normal". And then there is, in my opinion, a large part of society who are not consciously/deliberately being selfish/disregarding the worries of a shrinking minority, but as a response to the experiences of the last couple of years have a stronger need for a semblance of normality wherein mask usage and other covid reminders have no place. I see it all around me, especially with my partner's two children, the youngest of whom really struggled socially during the lockdowns and other restrictions and has now completely gone into FoMO-mode, only sleeping between his neverending social engagements and, for as much as he feels like attending, his college classes. None - and I mean zero - of his friends ever do a covid test these days, while we still regularly hear about people having symptoms that could be caused by it. It's not deliberate, it's simply left their mindset.

[atlpam]

After 3.5 years, it finally caught up with us. Still no clue where I was exposed as our summer life is mostly outdoors with minimal interactions with the public other than an occasional restaurant or the grocery store. We took precautions going to Boston for a memorial service, wearing masks since we would be around many people, but it turns out I was the one likely to expose people as I started experiencing symptoms as the day went on. Was still hoping it was ‘just the flu’, but no such luck and the hubs got symptoms 4 days later. Had to cancel a visit from friends that we had been looking forward to all summer. Now hoping to test negative by end of week so I can visit family (an aunt I haven’t seen in 10 years).

[mmmm8]

After 3.5 years, it finally caught up with us. Still no clue where I was exposed as our summer life is mostly outdoors with minimal interactions with the public other than an occasional restaurant or the grocery store. We took precautions going to Boston for a memorial service, wearing masks since we would be around many people, but it turns out I was the one likely to expose people as I started experiencing symptoms as the day went on. Was still hoping it was ‘just the flu’, but no such luck and the hubs got symptoms 4 days later. Had to cancel a visit from friends that we had been looking forward to all summer. Now hoping to test negative by end of week so I can visit family (an aunt I haven’t seen in 10 years).

Wishing you a quick recovery and a complete one too!

[atlpam]

After 3.5 years, it finally caught up with us. Still no clue where I was exposed as our summer life is mostly outdoors with minimal interactions with the public other than an occasional restaurant or the grocery store. We took precautions going to Boston for a memorial service, wearing masks since we would be around many people, but it turns out I was the one likely to expose people as I started experiencing symptoms as the day went on. Was still hoping it was ‘just the flu’, but no such luck and the hubs got symptoms 4 days later. Had to cancel a visit from friends that we had been looking forward to all summer. Now hoping to test negative by end of week so I can visit family (an aunt I haven’t seen in 10 years).

Wishing you a quick recovery and a complete one too!

Thankfully I have already recovered, it was equivalent to having the flu for me. If the husband’s is on a similar trajectory, he should start improving tomorrow.

[ti-amie]

A friend of mine came to NYC for her annual visit and when she got home she was, as the saying goes, sick as a dog. She says she feels better but her voice is still "pneumonia breathy" and her family is encouraging her to go to a doctor.

Pam I'm glad to hear that you're better.